Campbell Law Spotlight: Iman Abebe ’25

Iman Abebe ’25 has known she wanted to be an attorney and a public servant since she was in seventh grade.

Growing up outside Washington, D.C., Abebe says because the role models she looked up to in public service had juris doctor degrees, she had her mind set early on that she wanted to attend law school.

Abebe attended George Mason University, earning a bachelor’s degree in public administration with a minor in legal studies. During her senior year, Abebe also completed a global politics fellowship. As an undergraduate student, Abebe sought out opportunities to gain legal experience while also getting very involved in the community. After her freshman year, she interned with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), where she was able to interact with government attorneys and gain insight into their work. Abebe also interned with DLA Piper in legal recruitment and points to that experience as instrumental in shaping her professional journey.

Following graduation from George Mason, Abebe worked as a paralegal at Fragomen in Washington, D.C., doing immigration work before moving on to the in-house trade law division of Cipe.

Seeking to expand her horizons, Abebe applied and was accepted to Campbell Law School, where she began her 1L year in 2022. As a law student, Abebe has continued to seek out opportunities for engagement. From speaking on panels to membership in the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) to service on the committee for Student Diversity and Inclusion, she is committed to building her community through involvement in a variety of programs and organizations.

During her 1L summer, Abebe interned with IQVIA through the Minorities in the Profession (MIP) 1L Summer Associate Program managed by the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA). The MIP Program selects students from law schools throughout the state who demonstrate how they will bring diversity to law firms. The program then pairs students with legal departments and firms for summer positions.

Abebe said her internship proved to be an excellent fit for her and provided significant practical opportunities for her to build skills in a corporate contracts setting.  She highly recommends the program to other students and looks forward to building on the experience as she continues her professional journey.